


A Jaguar's Puppy

by snickering_lemon



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Animals, Animal Abuse, Animals, Dad Reaper | Gabriel Reyes, Family, Jaguar Gabriel Reyes, Jaguar Reaper, Lion Jack Morrison, Lion Soldier 76, Wolf Jesse McCree, Wolf McCree, hes a baby nerd, i just really like animals and always loved the idea of jack as a lion and gabe as a black jaguar, jesse is actually an african golden wolf puppy, just think of the movie babe its like that, or the book series warriors that was good
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-16
Updated: 2017-08-05
Packaged: 2018-11-01 11:04:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 10,302
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10920528
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/snickering_lemon/pseuds/snickering_lemon
Summary: “Sleep, pup. Your mother has gone and so have your brothers and sisters. Your only hope of survival is to put your trust in me.”Animal Alternate Universe- Black Jaguar Gabriel finds himself a scared little pup caught in a bush of thorns. He takes it upon himself to take care of him.





	1. The Big Cat and The Little Dog

**Author's Note:**

> i absolutely loooooooove animal aus for every fandom and of course i had to write something for these guys, i loved imagining soldier 76 as an asshole lion being friends (maybe more) with black jaguar gabriel, and just had to include lil african wolf puppy mccree. hope you guys enjooooooy!!!

     In moments of tranquility like these, Gabriel can lose the memories tied to the stories that come with the scars littering his body. He forgets about their existence entirely, focused only on that deep rumbling purr resonating from his close companion’s belly as he drags his sandpaper tongue across sandy yellow fur.

     His golden eyes are closed in content; and also to avoid the harsh sun in his face, but he embraces its warmth greedily. He can only meet Jack’s purr with his own, the noise making him drowsy with pleasure and happiness with their current situation.

     Jack and he have just managed to get a long needed meal; a fat buffalo who had decided he was thirsty enough to risk staying behind at the watering hole while his herd had begun to make their leave. It made it that much easier when the herd ignored his fearful cries in favor of keeping themselves and their young safe from the two predators who had already dug their pin-sharp teeth into his throat.

     With their bellies full and their bodies tingly and warm under the pleasant sun, Gabriel felt at bliss and decided to celebrate their successful meal and their newly found resting spot by bathing Jack with his tongue. The lion accepted the attention easily, closing his eyes and slowly rolling himself onto his side to give the black jaguar better access to where he desired the affectionate attention of Gabriel’s tongue.

     Gabriel was more than happy to continue with lavishing the lion in affection, moving to lap at those sharp muscled shoulders of his close friend. He nuzzles close, practically climbing atop the lazy big cat as he moved to lick the inside of Jack’s ear. It flicked a few times as Gabriel made rid of whatever parasites and pests he came across, taking hold of them between his teeth and swallowing them easily, but even with Gabriel’s fat paw in his face, Jack was happy to stay still and let himself be spoiled.

     It carries on like this; on occasion Jack shakes his head and pulls himself away some to lazily return the favor and run his flat tongue across Gabriel’s chest or neck. But after a few licks, it’s back to lying down and falling into that pleasant state of being between sleep and wakefulness with him. Gabriel doesn’t mind any, only climbs fully atop the larger wild cat and licks him from there.

     All peacefulness is gone when Jack is suddenly scrambling to sit alert, ears up and mouth barely open. He’s caught on to something that Gabriel hasn’t, making his own black ears flatten against his scalp in response. Gabriel closes his mouth, tongue caught sticking out from between his furry lips as he looks in the direction his lion friend stares at.

     Opening his own mouth and sniffing the air, Gabriel’s tail begins to flick at the tip and his hackles raise when a deep breath of air reveals to him what the problem is.

     It’s a lioness, and she’s in estrus too.

     Both he and Jack have reached sexual maturity, with Jack’s being more obvious with that ridiculous hair sporting from around his scalp and neck. But it’s only Gabriel who is reluctant to go after females in heat. He prefers to lounge up in a tree, to rub the scent glands in the corners of his mouth against his branch of choice and simply bask in the sunlight. Preferably with his friend.

     Of course, Jack would rather get himself killed trying to get a mere whiff at a lioness in heat. He becomes a beast of pure violence and hatred when he finds himself interested in a cat in the prime of her fertility, and it’s that knowledge that has Gabriel growling low in his throat. He’s tense, round ears far back and flat against his head.

     He stays right where he is, seated atop Jack and refusing to let him go just yet. He gives another throaty growl in warning, trying to keep him from becoming that undesirable beast that female pheromones seem to turn him into by leaning over and running the scratchy surface of his tongue between his shoulder blades.

     Jack is without a response, only staring straight ahead and no doubt trying to get a stronger scent of the female’s hormones. It’s only after a minute longer of Gabriel’s incessant licking that Jack reacts, and violently so.

     He lashes out, twisting his body and immediately going after Gabriel’s face with a swipe of his massive paw. The two have protected one another from offending predators and other threatening cats many times, but Gabriel knows from experience that when a fertile female is in question, Jack’s claws will be unsheathed with every move he makes. He flinches back, lip curling in a snarl as he simply lowers himself to the ground defensively, hunching his shoulders and looking up at Jack as he approaches the black jaguar.

     The offensive male rounds him, growling and swiping and nipping at him occasionally, making Gabriel hiss as blood is drawn. Still he stays completely still, nearly flat to the dusty dirt ground as he wills Jack to simply make his leave if he’s going to remain so violent.

     Feeling as if whatever potential competition resided in his friend is now gone, Jack pulls away and leaves Gabriel with a series of angry growls, swiping and snapping at the air in front of him in warning before bounding away in search of his mistress.  

     The cat blacker than the night itself stays where he’s left. His ears are flat and his golden eyes are mere slits. The flickering of his tail is nonstop, annoyance and anger licking at him from the inside. All alone, he growls to himself, clawing at the dirt beneath his own self and twisting his head to and fro.

     It takes him several minutes before he calms himself and decides that if Jack does not wish to be around him, then so be it. He will make the lion feel as isolated as he makes the jaguar feel when he acts out like this.

\-----

     The sleek black jaguar’s search for the tallest tree that he knows Jack won’t be able to climb, but he himself would be able to, is put on a halt when a cry catches his attention.

     His belly is still hanging with the weight of the buffalo he had feasted on early in the day, rounded out in a way that could make any offending wild cat jealous. With his belly full, the cry simply triggers the jaguar’s colorful curiosity. He stops to listen, head held high and ears perky.

     There is only silence to meet his eager attention.  

     The jaguar is smart, knows not to doubt himself. He is patient and simply sits where he stands, waiting for the noise to come back. With Jack having left to attempt to court a female, he cares not for whether or not Jack may be looking for him. The day is his own to pass as he wishes, and right now he wishes to pass the day by sitting in the middle of nowhere and waiting for that little noise to happen again.

     And it does.

     He locates its direction immediately once he hears it once more, a sharp little high pitched noise that has Gabriel thinking of his once cub siblings when he too was a frail cub himself.

     Thankful that Jack is not here to accompany him, as he knows the lion would only deem the noise something to kill and rid of, Gabriel makes his way towards the soft noise with his head lowered and his ears pressed forwards.

     His memories as a cub serve his suspicions right when he starts sniffing at the ground and the air alike. The smell of young and birth is there. Not strong enough to imply the birth is recent however; the stench is faint and buried underneath the surrounding vegetation. But still he follows, pausing when he loses track of the cub and then continuing when he hears its pitiful noises once more.

     Following his nose and ears leads him to a circle of trees and shrubbery, a typical and prime spot for a mother to leave her cubs when she could not be around to supervise them. Unconcerned over the presence of an overprotective mother (he could not smell one around for miles) Gabriel readily approaches the enclosure and sticks his head into the surrounding trees.

     The cub is a strange looking one, with a snout too long and his fur a dusty brown. But this does little to nerve Gabriel and he makes the rest of the way inside, sitting himself a few steps away from the cub and simply watching it.

     The mother must have not realized that this natural enclosure was sporting thorned plants, because this lone cub has found himself ensnared in prickly vines. There are patches of fur caught along the vines of the plants where the young must have previously been caught and struggled his way out of, only to find himself deeper in the clutches of nature’s own trap.

     The ground below the young cub smells stale of urine and feces, indicating that the mother must have abandoned him many nights ago.

     Still, even after having long been left by his own mother and brothers and sisters, the cub fights for his freedom. Yipping and whining when his struggles only serve to yank more fur from his tender skin.

     Leaning forwards, Gabriel sniffs at the young animal, twitching and pulling back as the baby finds renewed energy to yelp and cry in the likes the jaguar had not heard from him before.

     The noises are familiar, not at all like that of a feline cub.

     Gabriel is reminded of the creatures who do not roar or hiss, but instead yelp and bark.

     The ever so small and social animals.

     Sitting himself again, Gabriel watches the pup, his ears lowering at the ring the puppy’s crying puts in his head.

     The babe is afraid, but Gabriel knows not what to do. The dumb thing thinks it’s in danger, but if that were the case then he would have been dead the second Gabriel locked onto his scent. So he sits for longer, even goes to lie down and purposefully avoid the puddle of waste on the ground in hopes that the lack of activity on his end will silence the dumb dog.

     It doesn’t. The pup is frightened and has only succeeded in further hurting himself.

     Growing impatient, the black jaguar stands up and approaches the pup once more, sniffing at him and the surrounding vines. He gets to work immediately, taking in several of the thick green plant stems and biting through them with ease, slowly freeing the pup as he goes. With the last few cut by his incisors, Gabriel is quick to slam a paw atop the pup as he falls to the ground, preventing his escape.

     The pup had scrambled to get to his feet upon his landing, but finds his efforts fruitless and is immediately pinned to the ground by a paw larger than his body. Not a second later, there is a large mouth closing around his throat.

     This sets him off _screaming_ , and Gabriel almost flinches back at the horrifying noise. Looking annoyed and bothered, Gabriel only keeps a firm grip around the pup’s throat and wastes no time making his way out from the den and into a safer, better known stretch of land.

\-----

     The puppy’s voice had gone hoarse in the time it took Gabriel to return to a familiar area, with the second half of the trip finding the young pup in frightened silence. He had urinated on Gabriel out of sheer fear the second Gabriel had picked him up and began running off with him. It had the large cat tense and uncomfortable with the dire need to cleanse himself.

     Before tending to himself however, he drops the small pup to the ground and directs his attention to him instead. The first lap of his tongue against the frightened puppy’s tense and unmoving body has him yelping and yipping as if the cat had just bit into him. His big brown eyes are wide and looking at Gabriel through the corners.

     Again, Gabriel tries, but once more the pup simply yelps and falls helplessly to his side, instinctively revealing to the larger predator his soft underside in a desperate attempt to show his submission and want to be left alone.

     To communicate with others is a rare occurrence on Gabriel’s part, it’s rare between animals of all sorts in general. But Gabriel does not wish to attract the attention of a curious and obnoxiously young predator with the pup’s crying, so he makes his attempt.

     “Calm yourself, pup. I’m trying to clean you.” Gabriel murmurs, low and quiet.

     He’s not sure if the babe has understood him or not because all he gets in return for his words is that same wide eyed frightened look.

     So he tries again, but before his tongue can even so much as touch the bristle-y fur of the young animal’s, the canine is scrambling away and holding his tail tucked tightly between his legs. His legs tremble underneath his baby weight, malnourishment treating him unkindly. Still, despite everything, the pup gives off a baby growl, cut short with the soreness of his throat.

     Gabriel is unimpressed and reaches for the weakling, grabbing him by the throat and dragging him closer.

     The pup is too weak now to whimper, it’s only the trembles in his body that reveal the presence of his fear and terror. Still, Gabriel goes about his goal and swipes away urine and other waste, insects, and blood from the puppy’s coat and skin.

     By the time Gabriel deems the pup cleaned enough, the sky has fallen a pretty shade of violet and blue, stars twinkling overhead and the moon casting a pale light over the two.

     Certain that the pup will make his escape if given the chance, Gabriel stands up and grabs him by the neck. He’s lifted above the ground as Gabriel hides himself away for the night, twirling over a soft patch of grass and laying himself comfortably. Only after he finds himself comfortable for sleep does he tuck the young canine against his belly, a tight fit between the warmth of his abdomen and his legs. Gabriel farther curls in on himself, trapping the small animal within his body to ensure his safety.

     Although muffled, Gabriel hears the fuzzy pup’s distressed whine loud and clear.

     Once more, he speaks quietly.

     “Sleep, pup. Your mother has gone and so have your brothers and sisters. Your only hope of survival is to put your trust in me.”

     With that, only the crickets count the hours of the night tick by.

\-----

     The next few days with the pup pass by in silence.

     He has accepted his fate with the unfamiliar black Jaguar, but has yet learned to trust the animal and feel himself safe around him.

     Gabriel hunts and shares his meals with the pup anyways, takes him to the watering hole and carries him by the throat just as his mother would have.

\-----

      Several night falls and several mornings pass before the young pup finally finds his voice to speak with the elder jaguar.

     His voice is scratchy and hoarse with neglect.

     “I miss my mama.”

     The light above them is dim, tree leaves giving each animal their own peculiar pattern of light and darkness.

     Gabriel looks to the pup, stares down at him in that same spot of the feline’s abdomen he slept against on their first night together, before offering a few licks to his head and body, smoothing down his scratchy brown fur.

     “I’ll keep you safe, pup.”

     A soft whine accompanies the young’s words.

     “She called me Jesse.” The pup whispers, then buries his face within the fur of Gabriel’s stomach where he muffles his pitiful whines and soft cries. “I really miss my mama. I really miss her. I miss my brothers and my sisters.”

     He’s speaking into Gabriel’s fur, his long ears drooped and his sorrow mumbled against Gabriel’s stomach.

     Still he licks the small animal, keeping him close and offering the soft rumbles of his purr.

     “I will keep you safe, Jesse. To anyone else, you will be known as my pup.”


	2. The Dog With a Pig

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jesse and Gabriel are paid a visit by a hyena and his pig.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> bet you can't tell who the pig and hyena are, huuh??

     Gabriel awakens with a violent start.

     Nestled in the safety of his abdomen rests the pup he had found and kept to himself many-a nights ago, whining a few times in his sleep as he’s jostled by the jaguar’s sudden awakening. Despite his alarm, the larger cat manages to lean downwards and rasp his sandpaper tongue against the young animal’s body, smoothing his fur down and quieting his sleepy noises of distress.

     The young pup is calmed quickly. Again, Gabriel sits up alert, his ears twitching and rotating in an attempt to latch on to whatever little sound that could signal nearing danger.

     He hears nothing and that just sets him off farther on edge.

     _Something_ had woken him up. But he’ll be damned if he’s getting up to investigate and risking leaving his pup to deal with the dangers of isolation and vulnerability. So he stays where he is, offering the tiny pup his body warmth as he scents the air.

     A moment later and Gabriel is recognizing the scent that had woken him up, just as a noise sounds.

     The sound of laughter.

     Jesse is knocked away from his body and awakens to find himself smothered beneath his jaguar guardian’s stomach, feeling it rumbling with heavy snarls and overwhelmingly intimidating growls.

     He starts to whine, unhappy and struggling to free himself from underneath the larger cat’s weight. But the jaguar moves with him, refusing him his freedom and keeping him hidden underneath him.

     The night has lost its mysterious yet comforting beauty. Instead now it weighs heavy on Gabriel, dark and looming over their heads.

     He may be able to see basic figures in the dark, but his vision is still impaired with the darkness.

     Especially when the figures themselves match the black of the night.

     Again, the laughter sounds. This time much closer than before.

     The black jaguar meets it with rampant aggression, snarling where he thinks the noise to be coming from, baring his needle-pointed teeth.

     Frightened by the noises of his newfound guardian, Jesse starts to yelp and cry. It sets the larger animal’s ears back, making him direct his snarls in the babe’s spot beneath him.

     _Quiet_.

     The message is all clear, but the dumb pup must not have understood because he’s kicking and flailing underneath Gabriel, yelping and wishing for his release into the open. A wish that Gabriel would rather lose an eye over than grant in this moment. Does the dumb baby not hear that which is near?

     Does he not hear that signature laughter that haunts the dreams of mothers inexperienced and experienced alike?

     The sound that a cub hears last before living their last moments in this fast-paced, unforgiving world.

     Maybe there is still time.

     He has yet to see any evidence of the animal near enough, not a single sway of the leaves surrounding Gabriel and his pup or the snap of a nearby branch. Maybe he can get his pup and make his escape atop a tree, where they can wait out the damned animal’s patience and attention. Wait for it to set its mind on something else, to chase after some other unfortunate soul.

     Ears flat against his scalp and heart running wild, Gabriel takes his chance.

     He stands up and snatches the entirety of Jesse’s abdomen into his mouth, careful to avoid slicing him with his incisors. With his puppy in his mouth, Gabriel keeps his head low and moves to slip underneath the surrounding bushes and make his escape.

     He comes face to face with round, beady black eyes and a smile that strikes fear into the hearts of families with young.

     Not one to let himself get backed up regardless of the situation, Gabriel launches himself forward. He doesn’t know if he’s saved or ruined his chances of a proper escape when he briefly finds himself scrambling to recover and right himself on all fours after tumbling with the spotted animal. But he wastes not a second of time, rushing onwards and running.

     There’s no telling if the animal is bothered at all because that laughter follows Gabriel. It’s loud and mocking, high pitched and chipper. It’s the sound of an animal one would expect to live an easy and carefree life if they are capable of laughing so energetically.

     But with the details that his brief seconds-long scuffle with the other animal provided, Gabriel knew this was far from the truth.

     The dog had but only two legs. One of the two in the front was missing entirely, while one of their hind legs was lame and limp.

     But of course, as was Gabriel’s luck, this did nothing to discourage or slow the animal down. It chased after Gabriel, laughing all the while and snapping it’s disgusting maw in his direction.

     And Jesse was _petrified_.

     _Of course_ the damn pup had to urinate out of fear. _Of course_ it’s a neon-lit trail to where Jesse and Gabriel may reside. So to run and hide now is pointless, the atrocious dog would just hunt them down by the scent of the young one’s urine.

     So what Gabriel does is he hunts the land down for a tall enough tree, like he had originally been planning before everything had gone to where it is now. Before he had encountered his pup.

     But he needs to find one fast. The jaguar doesn’t dare chance a look behind himself to see the progress the other predator has made. It doesn’t matter whether he’s miles away or inches close. He has young with him now, and he needs to take every possible precaution to ensure the babe’s survival and safety.

     He has to run for a few seconds longer, but soon he spots a decently sized tree. One he immediately changes direction to run towards, his long tail flailing in a circular motion behind himself to aid in making the turn a clean one.

     The length of his luxurious tail proves to be his downfall, as that same maw that had been snapping behind him latches on to the flailing appendage. The dog shakes his head to and fro, violent as if he had already caught himself his dinner rather than the dinner’s guardian. To actually have a part of him within the spotted dog- the hyena’s- mouth reveals to Gabriel that their dental hygiene is just as poor as their overall physical health.

     The canine predator’s teeth are jagged, rather than neat and sharp, and in some places he has no teeth to bare.

     But Gabriel can’t find it within himself to care too much.

     All he knows now is the pain blowing up from his tail to the rest of his spine, like a wildfire. There is warmth adding on to the heat of the hyena’s mouth and the jaguar knows he bleeds and begins to suspect that he may have broken bone as well.

     He tries to run forwards anyways, to drag the weight of the dog on his tail far enough to reach the tree and climb upwards high enough to get the pup on a safe branch.

     He succeeds in yanking the hyena atop of himself instead.

     The weight that slams into him is a heavy one, and even greater is the pull and yank on his tail that has Gabriel hissing and making a variety of ugly noises to make up for the fact that he can’t bite down and grit the pain away. He still holds life between his teeth.

     But as the hyena and jaguar tumble over one another, that very life comes loose and falls to the ground, caught in the scuffle.

     Thankfully, the stupid hyena has not yet noticed this and instead directs his attention towards the jaguar instead. His misshapen yet sharp teeth release Gabriel’s tail and move to clamp down around his throat instead. He gets a mouthful of a shoulder as the black cat beneath him scrambles to right himself and throws himself at the dog, yowling and clawing at every inch of warm flesh he feels that isn’t his own.

     The jaguar does what he can to avoid letting the hyena realize that the pup has come free. He keeps him distracted, enduring teeth and claws and ripped flesh. Behind him he hears crying.

     Jesse is frightened, but relatively safe so long as Gabriel keeps the dog busy.

     So he does.

     Soon finds the dog’s throat in his jaws, the pathetic scavenger whelp’s life about ready to be brought to an end by the large cat-

      -but a pained and panicked yelp turned scream from behind has Gabriel dropping the animal to whip himself around, teeth bared and blood and gore from his own body ignored.

     An ugly creature Gabriel only knows as prey has pinned Jesse to the ground with their head, those sharp and overgrown tusks of theirs jabbing and lashing at the young pup as they throw their head around with wild abandon.

     Their intention is clear; to either crush or impale the young animal to death.

     And not so soon after, those hooves are brought into action, attempting to trample the pup.

     Snorting, laughter, crying, and snarling keep the night vividly awake.

\-----

     Morning comes, and Jesse and Gabriel lie together.

     Fortunately for Gabriel and Jesse; nobody died that previous night. Unfortunately for Gabriel-

     -nobody died the previous night. Meaning that the hyena and pig were still a threat to beware. Just like any other animal in the surrounding area.

     Neither have slept a second of the night that passed after the hyena and pig had made their retreat. Both were in too great an amount of pain, as well as anxiety and fear. The worst of Jesse’s crying has long since been left in the early night, but even now- hours into the light of day- his body still trembles with strained whimpers and whines.  

     The gashes caused by the unruly pig’s hooves and tusks have since been licked clean, though none too easily. Jesse was a writhing, crying mess, biting at Gabriel whenever the cat would come near and attempt to lick and soothe the puppy’s pain.

     But Gabriel could only keep his ears back and sit and wait for Jesse to tire himself out before trying again. Every time he had to wait the puppy out, the jaguar would close his eyes in sorrow.

     The wolf cub’s front left leg was made lame.

     Jesse couldn’t seem to move it anymore, and every time he tried to jump back and move away from Gabriel’s rough tongue, he would have to hop and move awkwardly. Underneath him, his front left leg would drag against the rough African ground, causing him to stumble countless times.

     So young, and already Gabriel has made his chances of survival that much harder.

     He didn’t blame Jesse for the refusal of his treatment.

     But he kept trying anyways, licking and nosing against the babe’s fur, ignoring the blood making his own fur crusty and full of flies.

     Jesse only lies on his side, eyes closed and body limp.

     Gabriel nudges his left leg, wincing at the babe’s sharp yelp.

_Good_ , the cat thinks.

     _He’s not dead yet._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> it's gonna be fun when lion jack not only sees that gabriel has a cub that /isn't/ his (jack's) own, but is also lame with a broken front leg.
> 
> oh it's gonna be very fun indeed.


	3. What Puppies Dream Of

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jesse isn't doing so well. Gabriel decides to try and get help from an old friend. The only problem is trying to find out where she is, and get there. Fast.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ohhh ohoho im always slow uploading but this time i have a legitimate excuse....kinda. i was moving! didnt have wifi for a while, but im back now and i have quite a few chapters to my stuff to upload. i had enough time even that i drew something for this, nothing too impressive but its there. gonna start with updating this one since its been a long while since i last did this. hope you guys enjoy!!!

     A mother with too big a litter will often kill the cubs who she deems unfit to live and grow in the natural world, whether the reason being because of their abnormally small size, a mutation they may suffer from (discoloration or any physical impairments present at birth), or simply because she just does not have enough food and milk to feed each hungry mouth.

     However, the cub who has been picked as the unfortunate “unnecessary extra mouth” might not experience death through merciful means- quickly and without pain.

     A mother’s incapability to kill her young with her own claws or maw is what brings to a cub the most painful and sufferable death.

     It’s a slow, miserable end to an infant’s life.

     A very hungry one, if a stray predator doesn’t finish the mother’s job for her first.

     Sometimes, when things are quiet in the night and Gabriel is resting in between wakefulness and sleep, he’s so sure he can feel the hum and purr of his mother’s belly against his backside. Normally such a thought would bring the jaguar nostalgia. It does, but it isn’t a happy kind of nostalgia.

     Mistakenly believing that he feels the soft purr of his mother’s belly against his back sets Gabriel’s rounded ears against his skull, pulled back as his tail flicks and thwaps against the savanna ground.

     It makes him scoot closer to Jesse; the small frail puppy of his. He’d lick at the young babe’s body, smoothing down already clean fur and minding his still broken leg. Despite the miserable state the young African pup has fallen victim to- refusing to react to whatever stimulus Gabriel provides him unless it pains him enough to make him cry out- the little brown puppy reacts on instinct in his sleep. The licking and nurturing warmth from the jaguar triggers him into whining soft and babyish, turning (carefully) and bringing his face to Gabriel’s abdomen.

     His little wet nose, as black as Gabriel’s own fur, nuzzles against the cat’s plush stomach, his pink tongue darting out and barely lapping at Gabriel. The paw that isn’t lame twitches forward and brushes against the soft flesh of Gabriel’s underside.

     The only thing stopping the jaguar from purring at what would usually immediately trigger the noise is the strain in the large cat’s heart as he recognizes the meaning behind the young babe’s sleepy actions.

     Jesse is _hungry_.

     He’s hungry and the dumb baby has been too miserable and hurting too much to accept the meat that the black jaguar would hunt and slaughter for him. No longer would his nose so much as twitch at the smell of fresh kill.

     As of late, all that Jesse was willing to do is drink from the mass bodies of water that Gabriel would take him to. And even then the cub would finish sooner than what is necessary to properly hydrate him, making his guardian nudge him with his nose into trying to drink more.

     He wouldn’t. He’d only pull away and limp beneath the cat’s body, hiding himself out of sight.

     At this rate the young cub would starve himself even when food is easily accessible with Gabriel’s help.

     The cat knows all too well what it’s like to be hungry.

     He knows from personal experience what it is to experience owning a small belly groaning in pain and hunger.

     He knows what it’s like to hurt.

     With his long black tail lazily flicking side to side, Gabriel decides to stay awake and keep his puppy safe and warm from the dangers of the outside nightly world. He watches the baby weakly mouth at his soft underbelly in his sleep, his little front paw twitching every few seconds, trying to knead into Gabriel’s pliant flesh.

     Keeping his disc-ears up and alert, twitching at any sound he catches, Gabriel thinks through his plans for the upcoming day.

     As he listens to the crickets chirp and the birds of the night sing their lullabies, Gabriel is approached with a fleeting thought.

     ‘ _Would it be better for Jesse if I killed him now?’_

Gabriel shakes his head as if to rid of buzzing flies, choosing to pick his head up and sniff open-mouthed at the humid night air.

     He needs to stay focused.

\-----

     Asides from the pitiful yelp and whimper of pain that comes with being jostled enough to move his broken leg, Jesse is without a reaction as Gabriel picks him up by the scruff of the neck after his initial wakeup.

     Gabriel tries and fails to ignore the worry imbedded deep like a knife in his mind and heart.

     Jesse has been sleeping for a lot longer lately. The young African wolf hadn’t immediately woken up when Gabriel had nudged him with his nose, not even when the cat took gentle hold of one of his tiny hind legs between his teeth and let it fall limp against the ground.

     The sun has been up over their heads for a long while, the light of dawn replaced instead with the heat of day before Jesse finally woke up. And when he did, it was with a sickly weak whine. His tail was quivering behind him as he had tried to pick himself up on unsteady legs, his face pressed to the grass as his lame leg laid limp and useless on the ground.

     He gave up after his first failed attempt and only looked up to Gabriel from where he lied against the ground with a pitiful look in those watery brown eyes of his. Jesse almost looked ashamed, as if he was humiliated over the fact that he couldn’t even pick himself up.

     Before Gabriel had the chance to move forwards and lick at the small animal and grab him by the neck, the young cub had weakly and slowly snapped at the jaguar’s snout, pushing his face away with his own maw and head.

     At first the larger of the two was confused, trying to shake Jesse off so he can take gentle hold of his neck and start the day off with him.

     But Jesse cried soft and mouthed at the side of Gabriel’s mouth, his working front leg lifting to paw at his face as a last ditch effort to keep the large cat away. It’s only then that Gabriel’s nostrils had flared and he parted his black lips to taste the air. The sharp, warm stench of acid reached him and it was then that the cat realized the reason behind Jesse’s humiliated expression.

     The cub couldn’t even find the energy to take himself elsewhere to relieve his bladder.

     Now, after having picked up the small animal only to move him to a dry spot of ground to clean him of his urine, before finally taking Jesse by the neck, Gabriel started on yet another long trek with his young.

     He tries to remember where he had seen his friend last. Lifting his head up and squinting against the bright African sun, Gabriel scents the air.

     Jesse yawns wide and shaky, stretching his legs as he’s held safe above the ground by his guardian. Slowly, his warm brown eyes fall closed and he tucks his limbs into himself.

     Despite having just woken up, the young pup is already finding himself falling asleep once more.

     His poor pup, so tired and so weak. Gabriel needs to get the boy help, and he knows exactly who to get it from.

     He just needs to remember how to get to her.

     Taking the first few steps of what he knows will be countless more, Gabriel keeps his head high and steady to avoid jostling his puppy and keeps his mind set straight. His tail is held low, nostrils flaring as he tries in vain to catch the scent he’s so familiar with; the scent he needs to meet in person as soon as possible.

     The fate of his cub may very well depend on the success of his findings.

 

\-----

     When the pain of his mangled leg is gone and the sharp edges of the world around him turn soft and inviting, Jesse dreams of his family.

     His little body is fitted against his mother’s and between that of his siblings, their tiny bodies making a warm nest for themselves. He can feel his sister’s paws pressing into his back, and in his front is his brother’s tiny tail trembling against his abdomen. Together they rest, nursing from their shared mother’s teats and filling their bellies warm with milk. In his dreams Jesse’s stomach swells in a way he misses, heavy with milk instead of the meat that he had been rushed into adapting to eating.

     But it doesn’t matter that he was rushed into eating a food that he wasn’t ready for at his too young age, not in this world.

     No- here Jesse gets to live without a worry to his own safety. Here he can play with his sisters and brothers again, bite at their ears and yelp when his own are bitten before jumping out at his attacker and rolling in the dirt with them.

     If they get too aggressive with one another their mother steps in, grabbing one of them by the neck and setting them close to her warm belly in a trick to get them to calm down.

     It always works.

     In his dreams it’s always Jesse who gets picked up for playing too roughly. He gets gently scolded by his sweet mother as she places him against the soft give of her stomach, her tongue licking at his face as she curls around him and presses her wet nose into his fat baby belly. It sends him flailing and stretching his short little legs in front of himself at the ticklish sensation, soft little huffs of air escaping him as he tries to playfully growl.

     “Jesse.” His mother would say, stilling his squirming with just that one word. “You are too young to be playing so roughly.”

     Jesse only smiles up at her, his tongue lolling out and his mostly toothless gums exposed. He wags his tail and rolls onto his back as he presses his paws against the white belly underside of his mother. She simply lets her ears fall back in love and affection, leaning forward and licking at Jesse’s round stomach.

     He usually falls asleep in his dreams like this. Lavished by his mother’s tongue and surrounded by her warmth and the comforting noise of his sisters and brothers playing without him.

     Sometimes-…

     Sometimes instead of dreaming of his family, Jesse finds Gabriel.

     The giant of a black jaguar would be crouching in front of a large puddle of water, much like the ones he takes Jesse to all the time, his tongue lapping at the liquid and creating rings that stretch larger and larger before disappearing and getting replaced by smaller rings that die out just as quickly.

     Often times the African wolf would find himself approaching the large cat. It’s only as he gets closer that he realizes the cat isn’t as big as he normally is, and not just because he’s crouching over the water. When the dog reaches the bank of the water and peers into the reflective surface, he would see what looks just like his mother.

     It’s himself, and he’s much older than he knows he usually is. His ears are far bigger, almost comically large in comparison to his head, and pointed at the tips. Looking down would reveal paws too big for his legs.

     Jesse gets embarrassed at the reflection of his awkward and still growing appearance most of the time, choosing to swat at it with his front paws. He nearly falls into the water in the process. It’s only then that he realizes just how deep the water truly is, even if Jesse _knows_ it should, by logic and experience, be shallow by the bank.

     Gabriel grabs at the back of his scruffy neck and starts to pull him up and out of the water, the canine’s fur drenched and heavy.

     But then something starts to pull at him by the throat, and it’s pulling him deeper into the frighteningly dark depths of the water where the only light that exists is the few rays of sun that shine past the surface.

     It’s a fight between two pulling forces, Gabriel trying to yank the young boy out of the water while keeping his incisors from piercing his flesh, mindful of the safety of his son.

     _His son._

     The pull at his throat is less forgiving and much more violent. Its teeth are digging into his throat, drawing blood and caring not about the bubbles that escape Jesse’s gasping maw as he cries out in pain and fear. His eyes are wide and white at the edges, his front legs kicking and trying to gain purchase on any solid force. He finds none.           

     “Jesse!” The voice is muffled by the depths of the water, but Jesse easily identifies it as Gabriel’s voice.

     Which makes no sense as he can still feel the jaguar’s mouth on his neck, trying so hard to pull him above water. But he can’t find himself to care about the flaw in that logic-

     His hind legs have lost their balance on what had been soil softened by the water and warmed by the sun, and Jesse is slipping under.

     “Jesse!”

     His jaw opens and closes around nothing as he thrashes his body in vain to locate what it is that has attacked him, what creature of the water has decided to claim his life. He can’t find anything. His jaws close on nothing but more water.

     He tries to claw at the invisible force but finds he has only one front leg to do it with, his second mysteriously and suddenly missing. In its place is nothing but bone and thin fragments of hanging flesh. His own blood clouds his vision as it swims around him.

     Deeper still the disembodied force pulls him. It’s only in the back of his mind when Jesse hears a splash behind him and realizes that Gabriel has jumped after him, and he doesn’t know why, but Jesse knows that the decision had been a lethal mistake on Gabriel’s part.

     Nothing tells him why or how. He just knows.

     And then he sees something golden in the water made murky with his blood. There is long fur surrounding the golden creature’s head, encompassing him like the rays of the sun, or the soft petals of a flower.

     The water is too cloudy to see through, Jesse’s mind too hazy with an oncoming death to recognize the figure even as he stares into its eyes as he slowly dies off.

     He’s getting so cold.

     There’s that same laughter that he had heard the night he lost complete use of his front leg, unaffected by the density of the water. It’s loud and clear, seemingly surrounding the young dog from all around him.

     Gabriel’s screams get louder behind him.

     He wakes up.

\-----

     Night was not too far from arriving; Gabriel had been walking without any luck on catching onto a single hint of his friend’s scent. But the sun was still up high and he still had his hopes.

     But even if he had lost any scrap of hope Gabriel knew he still had to keep trying to find her. He needed to. She was the only animal that Gabriel could think to bring his pup to and know that she would not immediately find him a threat _and_ would be willing to help.

     He was getting hot under the constant glare of the sun on his back, cursing the melanin of his coat that he knew was at fault for the easy rise in his temperature.

     He followed the moisture that he could taste in the air towards the closest body of water, setting Jesse down and sitting himself by the edge of the water. Dipping a paw in the cool moisture and getting his fur wet with it, Gabriel gently dabbed at Jesse’s face and body. He repeated the process to both try and wake Jesse up while simultaneously cooling the young cub down.

     It wasn’t working.

     Jesse wasn’t responding to the coolness of the water, nor the drips that would fall into his ears on accident. They didn’t even so much as twitch.

     He could only take slow wheezy breaths, much like that of a dying animal.

     ‘ _He just needs more water_.’ Gabriel tries telling himself, ears flat on his skull as he allowed himself to pick up larger quantities of water with his paw and soak Jesse in it.

     His heart starts to run when the small dog’s fur was wet from head to tail and still Jesse didn’t wake up.

     “Jesse.” Gabriel tries, his voice kept low and his large paw gently nudging at the tiny body he’s grown so affectionate towards. From across the water he can see a lone lioness, young and curious as she bends down to lick at the water and keeps her eyes trained on the scene unfolding. He ignores her, for now.

     His nudging gets insistent.

     “Jesse.”

     Nothing.

     Gabriel starts to pace around Jesse, emotion welling up in his voice as he keeps calling out to the young babe in soft imitation roars that sound more like wordless, rumbling murmurs. He stops to nose at the puppy, moving his body towards the shallow edge of the water and letting him lie in the moisture.

     “Jesse.”

     Jesse is ragdoll limp in the water, eyes closed and still wheezing those weak breaths of his.

     The lioness is still watching and Gabriel loses his patience with her, looking up from Jesse to look her in the eyes before roaring a challenge at her. He jumps into the water with a splash as if he’s about to swim over to her. It’s not impossible- the water isn’t very wide. She seems to recognize this and jumps back, her ears flat as she backs up and leaves Gabriel to his dying pup.

     Before he can turn back and dismiss the lioness- Gabriel hears a noise that stops him dead in his tracks.

     Jesse cries out, yelping and yipping as if he were in severe pain. Gabriel assumes the worst and jumps to turn himself around; a feat difficult to achieve in the depths of the water he threw himself into in his vulnerable moment of emotional insecurity.

     He thinks that the lioness had been proving herself a distraction to Gabriel, to get him to turn his back on his infant so that it can allow whatever acquaintance she may have to snatch Jesse up. But that suspicion is quickly proven false when Gabriel turns around and notices that Jesse is alone.

     He’s alone, but still whining as if in pain, standing on shaky and unsteady legs as he tries to drag himself away from the water that licks at his body.

     “Jesse.” Gabriel can’t help it. The relief is heavy in his voice as he paddles over to his son, his chest rumbling with a steady purr already building up within him the closer he gets to the small canine. When he finally reaches his cub he pauses to sniff his body, looking him over for any new injuries or indications towards what had made Jesse cry out so suddenly.

     The day is a hot one, as it often is in this landscape, but Jesse is trembling violently like he was cold. Like he had just come out of freezing waters.

     Gabriel makes a soft noise of concern. He can’t find any present injuries that weren’t already there (Jesse’s broken leg) and he knows that the water isn’t as cold as Jesse is making it seem. His only assumption is that the puppy is just that weak now.

     He wants to ask Jesse what had him yelping but the cub is looking up to him and the second he realizes it’s his guardian looming over him, he’s whining pitifully and babyishly. He crawls underneath Gabriel and presses his wet little face against one of the large cat’s hind legs, leaning up to nudge against his underbelly.

     Confused, but even more concerned and relieved over his pup’s safety, Gabriel allows himself to lay down for the small dog’s comfort. He curls around Jesse, licking him free of the moisture his fur collected. His fur sticks every which way with the licking but Jesse doesn’t seem to mind.

     He just buries himself deep against Gabriel’s wet tummy, hiding his face and whining soft and sad.

     ‘ _He seems scared._ ’ Gabriel thinks.

     ‘ _That makes two of us_.’

 

 


	4. Now Spectating: Gabriel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gabriel is on his way to find his friend, and he earns himself a few spectators for the rest of the trip without knowing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> a bit of a short chapter, but i hope you guys enjoy it all the same! it's a liiittle bit of an insight on what gabriel's past was like :P

     Gabriel has never been witness to another cub, canine or feline, struggling to keep themselves up on legs so coltishly shaky. Not at Jesse’s age. Not when the pup had proven early on that he was more than capable of walking without a problem. Even running came easily to the wolf. When he had learned to better trust the intimidatingly large and unfamiliar black jaguar, it wasn’t very long before the puppy was running very literal circles around the cat.

     He had too much energy for his own good, never making a trek to a new location _just_ a walk. He’d fit himself between Gabriel’s legs, pawing at the cat’s hanging belly and panting in amusement when Gabriel’s tail would start flicking side to side in response. Every body part of the jaguar’s seemed to be something for Jesse to play with.

     That long, swishing tail of Gabriel’s was just something to bite and gnaw on as he followed after the cat in those long boring walks through the plains of Africa. When they were taking their break, maybe stopping for a drink or just resting after a large meal, Jesse would be the only one to ignore his swollen and full belly in favor of biting at Gabriel’s lips and tugging playfully, trying to rouse his guardian into playing with him.

     Doing this, Jesse could easily catch sight of the larger animal’s sharp, long canine teeth, still tinted with the blood of his most recent kill. But he didn’t care, he knew he had nothing to fear.

     Except for when Gabriel would climb up a tree without him.

     Each time it was for no more than a few moments, and Gabriel always made sure to scent the area and ensure their safety- or more specifically, the safety of a certain sandy brown furred baby- before deciding it safe enough to leave Jesse on the ground while he allowed himself a better view of the area around him. Or maybe he had caught sight of a bird that could make for a quick snack.

     But it never mattered to Jesse the reason why Gabriel was leaving him below in favor of climbing a tree. That happiness and excitement that only a puppy could achieve would be wiped clean off the small dog’s face- his tail going stiff and his mouth closing as he watched his guardian scale the trunk of a tree.

     He’d be quiet- but only for a moment.

     After a snort of air from his nose, almost like a sneeze (but Gabriel knew it was Jesse trying to catch whiff of his scent, as if he’d have to keep it safe in case Gabriel really does leave him and Jesse would have to hunt him down) Jesse would bark once and then start pacing on the grassy ground beneath him, shamelessly whining through his nose as he watched the jaguar jump from branch to branch.

     It wouldn’t be long before Gabriel would look down and catch sight of Jesse climbing up after him.    

     Or, well. He would try to climb, but could never get very far in his attempt with those blunt baby canine claws of his. It’d just result in one of two things: Jesse stumbling on his ass and just going back to whining up at his guardian, or Jesse getting himself a little too high for his own comfort and finding himself stuck not knowing whether to try to get up higher or let himself fall the ever-so-intimidating drop to the ground.

     Which was never taller than Gabriel could reach on his hind legs.

     But those were happy memories left in the past now.

     Now, it is hard to imagine Jesse was ever that energetic of a puppy.

     The boy could hardly keep himself standing for more than a few seconds anymore, and when Gabriel would try to put him down for whatever reason, Jesse would be quick to whine and cry. He’d look up to Gabriel with sadness in his eyes, his big ears droopy and a look to him as if he were trying to ask the black cat:

     “ _Why would you do this?”_

     Whether the question was about the injury that lead up to his current state of being or Gabriel putting Jesse down at all, Gabriel never knew. He didn’t know how he would get to answering such a question either.

     Guilt always made the large cat quick to pick his cub back up between gentle teeth.

     It’s been a while ago that he had caught trace of his friend’s scent. It was old, stale and muddied up by the scents of hundreds of other animals, but it was _there_ and it was more than enough for Gabriel to fix his slouch and lift his head up just that little bit higher.

     He had been tempted to carry on seeking his friend out through the night; justified the thought by assuring himself that Jesse could and would be able to sleep just fine being carried in the safety of the jaguar’s mouth. Gabriel has gone plenty a nights before without any rest or sleep himself, when he had to. But that was when he was alone and could easily fight off any predators without worrying about someone else, someone more vulnerable than himself being dragged along.

     So, albeit reluctantly, Gabriel found himself and Jesse a safe place to settle down for the night- hidden away from sight by a few trees and tall grass, as always.

\-----

     Of course she would cross the barren path. It only makes sense that she would put herself in whatever dangers any other animal would choose to avoid, knowing that she would be safe. Safe _because_ only a creature incredibly stupid or horrendously courageous would dare to follow in her steps.

     Animals too stupid or too courageous often ended up getting themselves killed. She knew this and Gabriel knew it too. It’s how she knew she would be safe over this path.

     So it makes sense that, even if she had not meant to, Gabriel was finding himself tested to see if he was full with the stupidity or bravery it would take for him to follow after her.

     Is he? Every animal knows what too smooth plains of grass or dirt entail- of the creatures they bring.

     He can hear them already.

     Lurking in their giant, shiny moving dens, hissing at each other and clicking their tongues with each black brick that would be raised and pointed at him.

     Cameras. He knew what those were.

     He had a lot of experience with cameras growing up. None of them pleasant.

     To be put in a situation so familiar to that which made his too young life a living hell growing up, it had Gabriel anxious. His fur was sticking up on every inch of his body and he couldn’t get his tail to stop swaying as it held low behind him, inches from dragging against the dirt he was so familiar with.

     It took everything to keep himself from growling at the hairless animals. They never liked that, and the last thing he needed right now was a group of those angry animals on him.

     Jesse was still asleep, hanging safely within the gentle hold of his mouth, so that was good. He didn’t need the young animal to wake up and get himself frightened by the creatures he surely knows nothing about. Gabriel wants to keep it that way.

     Jesse doesn’t need to know about these animals. He doesn’t need to know that they even exist.

     Gabriel gives himself the opportunity to press his stomach flat against the ground beneath him. It makes him seem relaxed, like he was simply playing along the sidelines of the barren path and meaning the hairless no harm. But his tail keeps twitching and he’s not so sure he’s ever had a nastier look on his face before than he does now.

     He stays lying down; it’s the only thing keeping him from lurching forwards in front of their moving dens and risking relying on his speed to get him and Jesse safely across so that he can limit his time around these animals to as brief as possible.

     Gabriel has seen enough evidence of what happens to animals who foolishly run in front of these moving dens to teach him not to make the same mistakes as they.

     Instead, he watches those giant shiny dens trickling along and ignores the way he can see several faces peer over the open holes of their home and raise their cameras to him.

     At least they don’t flash.

     He waits.

     And waits.

     He waits until the last of the moving dens housing those naked creatures passes him and only then does he allow himself to get back up on all fours and briskly carry himself and his young across the dangerous path of flattened earth and back to healthy grass.

     Gabriel doesn’t chance a glance behind himself, focusing on getting himself and Jesse as far away from those creatures as possible.

     He breaks out into a sprint and wonders if anyone else fears those animals as much as he does.

     It’d only be smart to.

\-----

     “Should we do something about that?” Asks one of many of the passengers clutching their camera to their chest, a frown of concern heavy at her lips. Everybody is looking to the driver, awaiting her answer as if she knew exactly what to do in these sorts of situations. Like she wasn’t just some safari driver meant only to give tourists a safe view of Africa and that’s it.

     She can only shrug and continue on following after the rest of the jeeps in front of them, knowing that the rest of the drivers must be facing similar questions as she is.

     “We can’t do anything about that, no. Nature will do as nature wants.” Reaching her hand into the heavy bag of trail mix in her lap, the driver helps herself to a handful of the stuff. It’s a weak attempt at letting the passengers know that she’s not too willing to answer any more of their questions regarding the animals they may encounter that doesn’t allow for random fun facts to work as an answer.

      “But it had a fucking puppy, do you think it was going to eat that poor thing?” One of the tourists speak up; a young twenty something old male still looking out the window to the jeep, trying to catch a last glimpse of the jaguar that had just walked past.

     “No, no. She was holding it way too gently. I think she thinks that’s her cub or something?”

     “Lady,” The same guy from before starts, laughing quietly as he finally sits himself down once he realizes he won’t be catching sight of the odd spectacle again. “That cat was not neutered, it’s pretty obvious it was a guy.”

     The driver can hear the cheery little beeps his camera gives as he scrolls through the pictures he took and she can only roll her eyes as she watches him through the rearview mirror, shoving the screen to his camera in the other woman’s face.

     “See? Full-on testosterone.”

     She grimaces, but takes the camera anyways, frowning and scrolling through the photographs herself.

     The jeep is finally silent while she does this, and the driver sighs. But she knows it’ll only last so long.

     “Um…miss-…?” The woman asks, tucking a lock of chestnut brown hair behind her ear as she turns to look at their driver through the mirror. Instead of giving her the name she was seeking out to address her by, the jeep operator simply looks over her shoulder to her, arching an eyebrow above the black rim to her sunglasses.

     “Is there any sort of…animal help hotline you can call?” She licks her painted lips, ducking her head sheepishly at the unamused look the driver shoots her. She’s quick to try and explain herself, handing the bulky camera towards the other woman.

     “It’s just, well-…” She starts to ramble.

     Taking the camera in hand and setting it in her lap, driving without looking at it for a while longer. When she finally does decide to look at the selected photograph the tourist had requested she look at, her eyebrows raise somewhat.

     “He’s branded.” She states in subdued surprise, and the passengers behind her start to murmur amongst themselves.

     “Animals aren’t usually branded here in Africa are they? When they’re free and wild?”

     Returning the camera to its original owner, the driver sets aside her Ziploc bag of trail mix and picks up rounded receiver to the two-way radio connected to the jeep. She presses one of the larger buttons to the side of it, wiping sweat off her forehead.

     “Nope. I’ll have it checked out.”

     The white noise of static is brief before a voice picks up. The two of them exchange greetings.

    “Hey.” She starts. “Do you guys know anything about jaguars getting branded here?” She pauses, as if thinking.

     “Also, Africa isn’t really home to black jaguars, is it?”

     “No, it isn’t. What did you guys see? Should we be worried about it?”

     She chews the inside of her cheek, thinking back to the scars on the dark animals body, the patches of fur missing along the length of his spine and shoulders in too-clean zig zagging lines.

     “I think so.”    

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> on the next chapter: gabriel finally gets to his friend!!! yay! rejoice!

**Author's Note:**

> in case i didnt describe it well enough, this is how gabriel kept jesse for sleeping: http://ultrafunnypictures.tumblr.com/post/142121324002/safest-pup-in-the-world
> 
> im not sure if ill add more to this. i do like the animal au and was thinking of having soldier come back to gabriel after his lay and just not at all approve of this tiny vermin with gabriel. lions are /assholes/ when it comes to cubs that aren't their own. maybe ill continue, maybe not?? depends if you guys like it! thanks for reading!!!


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